Child's Play: Checkmate
by TheFifthSister
Summary: It's a rainy afternoon in Univille and HG's decides the best way to spend it is with a game


The rain was coming down hard, it rattled against the window and the sound soothed as Myka sat in the quiet of her house and had sometime away from artifacts and chases and running around after an active child and an equally active wife.

She sat with her legs tucked up under her, the neck of her sweater pulled up over her chin and her sleeve pulled up and bunched in the fist that her head was resting on. She was comfy, cosy and relaxed. Her eyes were fixed on the book she was reading as she listened to the rain outside.

HG entered the library, a box and board under her arm. She knelt down at the table in the middle of the room, clearing the pile of books on it and unfolded the chess board she'd bought in with her. Myka flicked her gaze to her wife, determined she was going to continue reading. HG slid the lid off the box on the table beside the board, taking out their chess pieces and setting them up on the board.

"Honey, I'm reading," Myka told her, her not leaving the page. She still had mixed feelings when it came to chess. While she loved the challenge of playing against HG she occasionally had flashbacks to that moment in the Regent's sanctum.

"How many times can you read that book?" HG teased as she continued to set out the board.

"I haven't read this in a while," Myka argued.

"We haven't played a game in an even longer time," HG countered. "And you know how that book ends." Myka flicked to the next page, continuing to try to ignore what HG was doing in front of her and get through her book. "I can tell you. I did write it after all."

HG finished setting up, sitting with her head resting on top of her hands as she watched her wife valiantly try to continue reading. She waited patiently.

Myka sighed, closing the book and glared at her as she slid off from her seat and sat opposite HG. HG smiled at her, anything but innocently, and laughed when Myka stuck her tongue out at her before settling down to their game.

Myka stared at HG, her hand hovering over a pawn that she moved forward two spaces, her gaze never leaving her face as she challenged her. There were few things that the two ever competed over but chess had become something that they did battle over when they played.

HG moved a pawn, smirking at the challenge in Myka's eyes, the cocky, teasing grin that she wore and the fact that she'd caved so easily.

They moved a few more times before strategy kicked in and they started to consider their moves. Myka was smirking has she watched HG's eyes flickering over the board as she assessed her plan of attack. "Hmm, I seem to have you right where I want you." She teased as she moved her bishop.

"Talk is cheap," Myka countered. HG laughed. Tough talk still wasn't Myka's thing.

Emma came skipping into the room, bear in hand and stopped next to Myka, leaning against the sofa next to them and watched curiously as Myka decided her next move.

"What you doing?" Emma asked.

"We're playing chess," Myka told her as she moved her rook across the board. She broke her gaze with HG long enough to see the look on Emma's face as she watched them. It then occurred to her that they'd never played in front of her before, usually waiting until she'd gone to bed to spend a quiet evening together. It was something they'd talked about teaching her when she was older. She held out a hand to Emma and pulled her into her lap when she took it.

"How do you play?" Emma asked curiously.

She put a finger on a piece, leaning forward so she could see that Emma was watching. "This is a pawn. You can only move it one square," she explained. "See the squares on the board?"

"Are you two ganging up on me?" HG folder her arms and watched the two of them cuddled up and plotting.

"I might win with Emma on my side," Myka joked, squeezing her daughter.

"The aim is to trap my king," HG explained, her finger resting on top of the pieces.

Emma looked up at Myka. "Is Mummy the bad man? Mummy can't be the bad man."

"No, Mummy isn't a bad man. Mummy has to try to stop me too. Think of it this way," Myka tried another tactic. "What happens when there's only one cookie left when you're at the B&B?"

"Uncie Pete tries to get it and I stop him?" Emma suggests.

"Exactly. You and Uncle Pete play that trap game, right? Well, you've got to do that to the other player in this game."

HG laughed. She'd never heard chess explained that way before, certainly not when Carturanga had instructed her. Although she's sure her mentor would have appreciated the comparison.

"See this one Emma?" Myka pointed at her rook. "Move it forward three spaces, okay?"

Emma reached out, taking the piece and moving it forward to a space inhabited by HG's bishop. "See, now we take Mummy's piece." Myka told her as she removed it from the board.

"Is that good?" Emma asked, looking up at her mother.

"That's how you win, by taking Mummy's pieces."

"Oh," Emma looked back at HG. "Yay!"

HG laughed at the look of competition on her girls faces. When they teamed up they were a formidable force. She scanned the board for her next move, taking her remaining bishop and moving it, her eyes watching Emma follow the move and then look at Myka to find out what to do. Myka had her move their Queen.

They took some time to show her how the pieces moved and explain the rules a little and with every step she got more competitive as she plotted with Myka. Emma was like Myka, she had a great memory and picked up on things and even if it wasn't completely sinking in she was curious and asking questions and they always loved teaching her new things.

HG moved her bishop again and smiled as she watched Emma look around the board before checking with Myka again. Myka's eyes flicked over the board, seeing what HG was up to. She flashed a smile at her wife before she whispered in Emma's ear, hand hiding her lips from HG. Emma's hand hovered over one of their rooks, checking with Myka who nodded at her. She moved the piece, crossing her arms confidently. "Check. Is that right Mama?"

HG tried to hide her smile, watching the smug look on her daughters face when she thought she was winning. She surveyed her options, making moving her bishop to protect her King and waiting for retaliation. Myka whispered to Emma again. She moved their Queen, smiling at HG again as she crossed her arms once more. "Check."

HG almost laughed when Myka did the same thing, crossing her arms and looking at her with amusement waiting to see if she was going to follow through.

HG moved her rook. Emma moved their Queen and Myka took the rook from the board. "Check." They said in unison.

HG sacrificed her Queen.

Myka whispered into Emma's ear again and then she moved their Queen again, Myka taking HG's Queen from the board and then she leant forward to whisper in Emma's ear again.

"Checkmate!" Emma called, looking up at Myka again. "What does that mean?"

"It means we won."

Emma looked at HG who nodded at her.

"Yay!" Emma beamed. She jumped up and threw her arms around Myka. "Well done Mama."

Myka laughed, hugging Emma and rubbing noses with her. "How about I get us all something to drink?"

"Can we play again?" Emma begged.

"Sure, how I show you how to set it up while Mama makes some tea," HG suggested. Myka smiled.

Tea, chess and quality time with her girls on a rainy afternoon. It didn't get much better than that. Emma hopped into HG's lap as Myka went out to the kitchen and came back with their tea set, readying herself for HG's revenge for having let the two of them win as Emma joined her team for the rematch.


End file.
